Thousands of fans turn up for last glimpse of Puneeth

Thousands of fans turn up for last glimpse of Puneeth

Last Rites To Be Held Today; CM Urges Actor’s Fans To Cooperate

Chethan.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:31.10.2021

Around five lakh fans from across Karnataka, some raising slogans that ‘Raajakumara’ would live in their hearts forever, some wailing and some holding back tears, joined a slew of celebrities and actors from neighbouring states to bid adieu to Puneeth Rajkumar, whose mortal remains were kept at Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday.

Thousands of fans had begun trickling into the stadium since Friday evening to catch a final glimpse of the ‘Power Star’ as the final rites were expected to be conducted on Saturday. With the government postponing the funeral to Sunday, many more made it to the stadium to pay their tributes to the 46-year-old actor who passed away after a massive cardiac arrest.

Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said the funeral procession would take place between 5.30am and 6am on Sunday and the general public will not be allowed during the last rites. He urged the actor’s fans and admirers to cooperate with the administration to maintain law and order as they have in the past two days.

Puneeth Rajkumar’s elder daughter Drithi, who is studying in the US, flew home in the evening and paid her respects. Behind are her mother Ashwini, sister Vanditha (in glasses) and cousin Yuva, Raghavendra Rajkumar’s son

A STAR IS GONE

Condolences and tributes to Puneeth flooded social media

Puneeth’s maternal uncle and former Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce president, SA Chinne Gowda, who was at Kanteerava Studio overseeing preparations for the final rites, said: “...Even today, people have been pouring in from across the state, from far off districts like Kalaburagi, Raichur, Belagavi and many other places. It has been decided that the final rites will be performed tomorrow (Sunday). I request people to cooperate and maintain peace.”

Puneeth’s elder daughter, Drithi, who is studying in New York, took an AI flight from JFK and landed at Bengaluru at 4.10pm, via Delhi. Earlier in the day, Puneeth’s brother Raghavendra said the family was waiting for Drithi to arrive and appealed to fans to remain calm. “You have all cooperated and maintained peace so far, we request you to do the same. All fans will be allowed to pay their respects as we’ve pushed the final rites to tomorrow morning,” he said.

Drithi reached the family’s Sadhashivanagar home around 5pm and arrived at the Kanteerava Stadium by 6pm. Joined by her mother Ashwini and sister Vanditha, touched her father’s head one last time and wept, sending a wave of grief through the crowd in the stadium.

Among celebrities and VIPs who called on the family through the day were former Andhra Pradesh CM and thespian NTR’s son Balakrishna, Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi, actors Venkatesh, Junior NTR, Ali, Rana Duggabati, Srikanth and Sharath Kumar. Kannada stars Arjun Sarja, Divya Spandana (Ramya), Rakshitha, Pooja Gandhi, Sudeep, Yash, Upendra and senior artistes Umashree, B Jayashree and music director Gurukiran also paid their respects.

Karnataka governor Thawar Chand Gehlot arrived in the morning to pay tributes.

Police said the throng of fans in the stadium remained all day, while a few hundreds more thronged Kanteerava Studio. Police commissioner Kamal Pant said: “Our officers estimate around 5 lakh people arrived by midday. Many more people kept pouring in even after that. There will be bigger crowds by night and up to morning tomorrow.” Despite the huge numbers, no untoward incident was reported though fans had to brave a brief spell of rain at 4pm.

Online, condolences and tributes to Puneeth flooded social media. A video of a fan (Ajmal Mughal) from Pakistan’s Lahore crooning the actor’s ‘Bombe Heluthaithe’ even went viral.

(With inputs from RB Santosh Kumar, Rajiv Kalkod, Petlee Peter)

› Reluctant actor to astute bizman, his arc grew, P 4 › Two fans die in Belagavi, P 4

2 Delhi colleges to be named after Savarkar, Sushma

2 Delhi colleges to be named after Savarkar, Sushma

31.10.2021

The Delhi University’s executive council was informed on Friday that two names finalised for naming two upcoming colleges were Veer Savarkar and Sushma Swaraj. In an EC meet in August, a proposal was passed through which the VC was given authority to select names. The other names on the list include Swami Vivekananda, Sardar Patel & AB Vajpayee. TNN

Why carrying credit card debt is not healthy, wealthy and wise

Why carrying credit card debt is not healthy, wealthy and wise

Ann Carrns

31.10.2021

Carrying credit card debt isn’t just bad for your budget. It may also affect your health. The stress of carrying card debt through adulthood is linked to poor health, including joint pain or stiffness that interferes with daily activities, a recent study from the University of Missouri found. Beyond the worries about repaying debt, one reason for poor health may be that people with high debt have little money left to pay for resources that protect their health, the study said. The findings come at a time of increased financial insecurity for many Americans as a result of the pandemic, though the study noted that the level of unsecured debt, like credit cards, payday loans or medical bills, has been rising more quickly than income over the past several decades.

The new research tapped department of labour data to analyse the financial health of almost 7,900 baby boomers over more than a decade, from age 28 to 40, as well as their physical health at age 50. It found that people who carried consistently high levels of unsecured debt were 76% more likely to have pain that interfered with their daily life than people with no unsecured debt. People who carried debt over time reported worse physical health late in life, said Adrianne Frech, a medical sociologist and associate professor at the university’s School of Health Professions who is the study’s lead author. And the effects lingered even if the debt had been repaid, she said. People who had paid down their debt over time were still 50% more likely to have pain that impeded regular activities.

The study builds on earlier research that found that unsecured debt is more burdensome than other kinds of debt because it has higher interest rates and is often borrowed during times of desperation. “Unsecured debt is stressful to repay,” Frech said. Poor health and high debt can feed a cycle that’s hard to break, she said. People take on debt, and the stress affects their health, which, in turn, may limit their ability to work and pay off the high-interest debt. Simply telling people to manage their money better isn’t enough, Frech said. “We must address the systemic inequalities that create these desperate circumstances in the first place,” she said.

The study period predates the 2008 financial crisis and the pandemic-induced economic downturn. It didn’t include student debt, which many borrowers are having trouble repaying well into their 30s and 40s. After growing for years, credit card debt fell in early 2020, as Americans cut back on spending and paid down balances during the pandemic. Delinquent accounts fell because of federal stimulus programmes as well as voluntary forbearance offered by banks to struggling borrowers. The average credit card balance was $5,525 this year, down from about $6,500 in 2019, according to credit bureau Experian.

Some answers about managing credit card debt:

What is the best way to pay down credit card balances?

Because credit cards typically charge double-digit interest rates, most financial advisers agree that you’ll save the most money if you focus on paying down the card with the highest interest rate first. “I prefer the avalanche method,” said Benjamin Jacobs, a fee-only financial planner in Athens, Georgia, using a common name for this approach. Here’s how it works: Make the minimum payment on all of your cards to avoid late fees, but put any extra money you have toward the highest-interest balance. When that balance is paid off, move on to the next card and so on. But some people may be more motivated by paying off the card with the smallest balance, regardless of its interest rate. The mechanics of this approach, sometimes called the “snowball” method, are the same: Pay the minimum on all cards, but put extra cash to the smallest balance until it’s gone, then move to the next card. “I like the snowball, because you have instant success,” said Melinda Opperman, president of Credit.org, a nonprofit financial counseling agency in Riverside, California. If you feel overwhelmed and are falling behind on payments, you may consider seeking help from a nonprofit credit counseling agency. Those agencies can help assess your situation and negotiate a plan with your card companies to allow you to pay off balances over time — typically two to five years.

How can I avoid overspending during the holidays?

Shoppers expect to spend almost $1,000 this season on gifts, food, decorations and other holiday-related purchases, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2021 forecast. But Opperman said that many clients have told her they are still paying off credit card bills from last year. She suggests focusing on enjoying time spent with loved ones during the holiday season rather than buying pricey gifts. She said she asks clients: “Do you remember what gift your sister or brother bought you last year?” Often, she said, they don’t recall. But they do remember playing a fun game or sharing a meal. “It’s more about the memories of the time spent with family and friends.” Jacobs recommends breaking out the credit card only for items you know you can pay off within a month. He also suggested starting to build an emergency fund, if possible, of three to six months of living expenses. That way, you’ll be less likely to rely on high-interest card debt if you have an unexpected bill.

A basic step to avoid overspending is to make a plan before shopping for how much you will spend, said Abigail Sussman, an associate professor of marketing. “Setting a low spending goal can be helpful,” she said. NYT

The stress of carrying card debt through adulthood is linked to poor health, including joint pain or stiffness that interferes with daily activities, a recent study from the University of Missouri found

HC notices to MSU, VC on promotion grievances

DELAY ROW

HC notices to MSU, VC on promotion grievances

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Vadodara:31.10.2021

The Gujarat High Court has issued notices to MS University and its vice-chancellor (VC) professor Parimal Vyas in connection to a petition filed by a teacher of Faculty of Management Studies (FMS). The HC has issued notices in connection to a special civil application filed by Dr Sunita Sharma, who is currently serving as associate professor at FMS.

Sharma has filed a petition in the HC raising the grievance that though she is eligible to be considered for promotion under the career advancement scheme (CAS), yet her case is not being considered.

Justice Nikhil Kariel has issued the oral order asking the university and the VC to submit their reply on December 8. In her petition, Sharma, an associate professor since 1995, has stated that she is awaiting her promotion as professor under CAS which is due since 2010. She has claimed that although she is the senior most teacher at FMS, Prof Magan Parmar, who teaches in Faculty of Social Work, has been appointed as officer on special duty (dean) at the FMS.

In 2019, Sharma had applied for the post of professor in the open category but was declared ineligible by the university officials. She has even claimed that in 1995, though she was selected for the lecturer post, Vyas was rejected for the post. But in 2012, Vyas was appointed as dual professor at FMS. She has alleged that since Vyas wants to become professor and head at FMS after his term as MSU VC ends, she is denied the promotion.

Ex-VC Adesh Pal forced to retire

Ex-VC Adesh Pal forced to retire

Palanpur:31.10.2021

Adesh Pal, professor and head of the English department at the Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University and ex-VC of Gujarat University was forcibly retired after the syndicate passed a resolution against him on Saturday. The action is based on the Lokayukta report which states that Pal had failed to give a satisfactory reply to charges of corruption levelled against him. The government’s nod to retire Pal had come last Thursday.

The charges of corruption relate to his tenure in GU during 2011 when the GU campus library was said to have been defrauded of Rs 1.7 crore. The Lokayukta took up the case after the education department filed a formal complaint. On October 14, deputy secretary of the education department, Moulik Shah wrote a letter to North Gujarat university to take action which resulted in the syndicate forcibly retiring him from Nov 1, 2021.

He will get post retirement benefits as per government rules. TNN

US curbs eased, but visa wait time gets longer for Indians

US curbs eased, but visa wait time gets longer for Indians

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:31.10.2021

The lifting of US restrictions on fully-vaccinated travellers from India from November 8 has seen the processing time for visas rise significantly. The US embassy in India on Saturday warned of “significant appointment wait times for some nonimmigrant visa categories.” During pandemic, a long waiting time for visa-processing of countries that open their doors to travellers from abroad is a phenomenon seen regularly. “From November 8, an estimated 30 lakh visa holders from India, with proof of vaccination, will be able to travel to the United States under the new international air travel policy. Facilitating legitimate travel to support our strong and growing bilateral ties is our top priority. As we build back from covid-19 related interruptions, we expect significant appointment wait times for some nonimmigrant visa categories at our embassy and consulates. Thank you for your patience while we work to increase our capacity and maintain the safety of our applicants and staff,” the US embassy website states.

Describing the vaccination requirements for travellers, it adds: “Starting on November 8, foreign national air travellers to the US will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding to fly to the US, with only limited exceptions. The CDC has determined that for the purposes of entry into the United States, vaccines accepted will include those FDA approved or authorised, as well as vaccines with an emergency use listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization (WHO).”

“From November 8, an estimated 30 lakh visa holders from India, with proof of vaccination, will be able to travel to the United States under the new international air travel policy”

Couple gets death penalty for killing parents over property

Couple gets death penalty for killing parents over property

Passed Off Murder As Fire Mishap Due To Air Conditioner Blast

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.10.2021

A husband and wife who conspired together and murdered the parents and younger brother of the man to gain ownership of the family property, by throwing petrol bombs inside the house in Tindivanam, Villupuram district have been sentenced to death by a special court for bomb blast cases. The accused had passed off the murder as an accident by claiming that air conditioner explosion led to the fire. They have been found guilty under sections of the explosive substances act.

According to prosecution, M Govardanan, a private school teacher and his wife, Deepika Gayatri were living along with Govardanan’s family at Subarayan street in Kaveripakkam, Tindivanam. Investigations revealed that Govardanan, after his marriage in 2018, demanded money from his parents to start a business, but was denied as he had already spent lavishly. Besides, the main accused was also holding a grudge against his parents as they continuously insulted him. Subsequently, to settle his loans, Govardanan pledged his wife’s jewellery and then again demanded money from his parents. His father agreed to arrange Rs 30 lakh as his share from the ancestral property. Since there was delay, heconfronted his parents on May 14, 2019.

Aggrieved over their evasive responses, on May 15, Govardanan prepared petrol bombs (molotov cocktail) and threw them in rooms , where his parents and brother were sleeping. His mother, Kalaiselvi died in the room. When his brother Gowthaman tried to escape, another petrol bomb was thrown at him, leading to his death due to severe burns. When his father, Raju tried to escape through the kitchen door, Govardanan kicked him and stabbed him with a butcher knife. The couple later raised an alarm to make it seem like their family members have died due to explosion in the air conditioner.

P Velmurugan, Sessions Judge, special court for exclusive trial of bomb blast cases held that the prosecution proved their arguments with documentary evidence. “The crime committed is diabolic, gruesome, barbaric and inhuman. If the accused are awarded lesser punishment on the premise that there is a chance for reformation, it would amount to misplaced sympathy and society will not accept the same and will degrade the image of the Indian criminal justice administrative system,” the court said.

“The crime committed is diabolic, gruesome, barbaric and inhuman. If the accused are awarded lesser punishment on the premise that there is a chance for reformation, it would amount to misplaced sympathy and society will not accept the same.”

Police seek complaints against Siva Shankar Baba

Police seek complaints against Siva Shankar Baba

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.10.2021

CB-CID sleuths have sought complaints, if any, from public against Siva Shankar Baba who was arrested and detained in jail for sexually assaulting school students. Anyone can approach police on mobile numbers of CB-CID officers.

Siva Sankar Baba who was first arrested on June 16 from Delhi for sexual harassment charges, has been lodged in Puzhal prison. Police are seeking the common public to come forward and lodge formal complaints against the self-styled ‘godman’, as their preliminary inquiries revealed that he had been abusing several girl students of a residential school he founded on the city’s outskirts.

In a press release, the investigating agency said that people can reach deputy superintendent of police Velmurugan at 9498104461, inspector of police Renuga Devi at 9498104695, inspector of police Gomathi at 9498107303, or inspector of police Valarmathi at 9840643610.

Information provided will be kept confidential.

The Mamallapuram all-women police, based on three complaints, booked Siva Sankar Baba on June 12. The case was transferred to the CB-CID on June 13. Police apprehended him from a lodge at Chittaranjan Park in Delhi on June 16. Police also registered a case against a former student of the school, Sushmitha, for “brainwashing” other students into getting the ‘blessings’ of Baba at his ashram, police said.

People can reach out to DSP Velmurugan at 9498104461, inspector Renuga Devi at 9498104695, inspector Gomathi at 9498107303, and inspector Valarmathi at 9840643610

Airport to get separate travellers’ helpdesk

FOR MEET AND GREET

Airport to get separate travellers’ helpdesk

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.10.2021

Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to set up a facility to guide passengers who arrive and depart the city.

The meet-and-greet counter and its staff, popular in other airports, will assist departing passengers to fasttrack check-in formalities while assisting those who arrive with baggage, transport options to the city.

A tender has been floated to identify a company which will be able to carry out the work. The work is likely to be awarded next month.

An AAI official said a meet-and-greet facility is available at all airports and there has been a demand for the service for some time, especially from passengers who arrive for the first time and those who travel on business.

Passengers will have to pay a fee to use the service, but many have expressed that the absence of the service was an inconvenience, especially because of the ongoing construction work that makes alighting from vehicles and boarding cars a hassle. The service will be of use for business class passengers and is crucial as scheduled international flights may resume mid next month.

Barricading, movement of heavy vehicles, workers and equipment to build integrated terminals and two multi-level car parks is causing a hassle for passengers. As travel has resumed in a big way and the domestic terminal alone has started to see 20,000 passengers per day, there is congestion at check in counters and at security check in.

The assistance facility including a helpdesk is likely to be of help in this scenario, said an airline official. The airport is also not able to install enough signage on the city side due to construction work.

Chennai airport had a meet-and-greet facility a few years ago but it was not a success as the staff of the firm were not allowed access to the security check area and meet the passengers at the aerobridge or arrival gates. Sources said there was no need for assistance for passengers if it cannot be provided from the aerobridge or arrival gate and assistance all the way till the boarding gates in the case of departing passengers.

As the staff were not allowed into the security check area, passengers who needed assistance were forced to depend on ground staff or baggage handlers to help them carry out the formalities inside terminals. The airport does not have adequate staff to assist business class passengers also as it has only one ground handling company serving international flights.

After month in jail, Aryan Khan returns home to much fanfare

After month in jail, Aryan Khan returns home to much fanfare

Mohua Das & Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai:31.10.2021

Aryan Khan finally returned home on Saturday morning to a hero’s welcome, two days after the Bombay high court granted him bail and almost a month of being lodged at Arthur Road Jail following his arrest in the drugson-cruise case.

Jail officials unlocked the bail box at 5.30am on Saturday to collect Aryan’s release order to initiate the process that had missed its deadline on Friday. While his father, actor Shah Rukh Khan, left home at 8am and managed to dodge the media glare—stationed inside his white Range Rover parked close to the prison ahead of his son’s release—the crowd of onlookers that grew by the minute cheered excitedly at a fleeting glimpse of Aryan, 23, as he emerged from a mini gate at 11.02am with SRK’s bodyguard Ravi Singh briskly escorting him into the SUV, ready to drive back home.

FREE AT LAST: Aryan Khan, 23, left Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai around 11am on Saturday, two days after he was granted bail

‘If we’ve been there for SRK in good times, we need to be with him now’

Fans also gathered outside Mannat, the Khans’ sea-facing bungalow. “If we’ve been there for Shah Rukh in the good times, it’s our responsibility to be here for him in the bad times,” said Aparna Agnihotri from Andheri, member of a fan club.

Fans burst crackers, waving banners that read ‘Stay Strong Prince Aryan’ and chants of “We love Shah Rukh”, even as security guards and a posse of policemen jostled to provide the actor’s car a safe passage back into the building.

If the crowd lined up on pavements outside Arthur Road jail kept the police on their toes, with barricades and ropes to keep onlookers within limits and an eye on suspected pickpockets following reports of at least seven mobile phone thefts outside the jail on Friday, it was a busy day for some of SRK’s biggest fans too.

As the wait for the star son’s arrival grew longer, a man kept the crowd intrigued with his “bhavishya vani” or fortune-telling for the Khan family while two others stopped by to regale fans with the quintessential SRK song ‘Tujhe dekha toh yeh jaana sanam’ on their shehnai and dafli.

“Aaj bahut din baad khushi ka mahaul hai,” said Lateef Khan, a 20-year-old from Kurla and member of Team Shah Rukh Khan, a fan club with more than 2 million followers. Upset at not being able to welcome back “Prince Khan” on Friday, he refused to go home and camped with a friend instead in order to board the 6am train for Aryan’s grand arrival.

Full report on www.toi.in

FAN FRENZY: Cops and guards struggled to control the crowd in a lane leading to Mannat, Shah Rukh Khan’s home, in Mumbai on Saturday

Embassy warns of long visa wait as US eases curbs

31.10.2021

As the US opens for Indians from November 8, the country’s embassy on Saturday has warned of “significant appointment wait times for some non-immigrant visa categories”. “From November 8, an estimated 30 lakh visa holders from India, with proof of vaccination, will be able to travel to the US under the new air travel policy. Vaccines accepted will include those approved or authorised by the FDA and vaccines with an EUL from the WHO,” it said.

Stalin: TN Day to be celebrated on July 18, not Nov 1

Stalin: TN Day to be celebrated on July 18, not Nov 1

31.10.2021

Reversing a decision of the previous AIADMK government, the ruling DMK on Saturday said the state’s Formation Day will now be celebrated on July 18, in lines with rechristening of its name to Tamil Nadu from Madras Presidency and not on November 1 as announced by former CM K Palaniswami. Chief minister M K Stalin’s announcement drew strong rebuke from the AIADMK, which called it political vendetta

TN not to suspend staff on day they retire

TN not to suspend staff on day they retire

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.10.2021

The state government has issued orders to its departments to take a decision on the departmental action against erring staff three months prior to the date of their superannuation to avoid suspension on the date of their retirement.

In cases, where charges have been framed and disciplinary authority is of the view that withholding pension under the Tamil Nadu Pension Rules, 1978, would suffice for the delinquency committed, the authority may allow the staff to retire, said an order. It will not be however applicable in cases where employees are facing criminal cases or probe by the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption.

Any failure on the part of the disciplinary authority to issue final orders three months before the date of retirement of a delinquent officer will be viewed seriously and it will entail severe action against the officials responsible for dragging on the case to the date of retirement of the staff.

It will not be applicable in cases where employees are facing criminal cases or probe by the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption

Give children returning to school warm welcome: CM

Give children returning to school warm welcome: CM

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.10.2021

Tamil Nadu Chief minister M K Stalin has urged teachers and schools to create a welcoming atmosphere for students who will be returning on Monday after a gap of almost one and a half years. Schools in Tamil Nadu will reopen for Classes 1 to 8 on November 1.

In a statement, Stalin urged teachers tospend The first two weeks should be spent in activities and games including storytelling, music, memory enhancing tasks in classrooms, he said.

As the children are returning to school after a huge crisis, the chief minister has urged MLAs, MPs, local body representatives, members of parent teacher associations, principals, teachers to welcome schoolchildren as "we have a responsibility to ensure that children return to schools without fear of a pandemic."

Diwali special buses to ply from Nov 1-3

Diwali special buses to ply from Nov 1-3

State-run, Pvt Buses To Start From 6 Places

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.10.2021

In view of Diwali, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) and private operators are set to operate extra buses from Chennai to various destinations. To ease congestion and confusion at the boarding points, the State has decided to operate services from six terminuses namely Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), Madhavaram Mofussil Bus Terminus (MMBT), Poonamallee bus stand, Tambaram Sanitorium bus stand, Tambaram railway station bus stand and KK Nagar bus depot. The special services will be from November 1 to 3 and November 5 to 8.

CMBT: Buses to Velankanni, Trichy, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Sengottai, Nagercoil, Thiruchendur, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Salem, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Virudhunagar, Pudukkottai, Karaikudi, Erode, Salem, Pollachi and Bangalore

Madhavaram: Buses to Andhra Pradesh and all the APSRTC buses via Red Hills, Gummidipoondi and Uthukottai.

Poonamallee: Buses to Kancheepuram, Arcot, Arani, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Thirupattur and Hosur.

Tambaram Sanitorium: Buses to Tindivanam, Thanjavur, Panruti, Kumbakonam and Vikravandi

Tambaram railway station: Buses from Chennai via Tindivanam to Tiruvannamalai, Gingee, Katumanarkoil, Polur, Vandavasi, Neyveli, Vadalur and beyond.

KK Nagar bus depot: Buses going through East Coast Road to Puducherry, Cuddalore and Chidambaram.

MTC is arranging special connecting buses for passengers to reach the special bus stations. Passengers are requested to follow all Covid norms and wear a mask throughout their journey. TNSTC, SETC and omni buses will take the following routes:-All reserved TNSTC, SETC buses from Koyambedu CMBT will take outer ring road to reach Urapakkam temporary bus station to board passengers who reserved from Tambaram and Perungalathur. As usual SETC buses will ply via Poonamallee high road, Vanagaram, Nazarathpet, outer ring road and reach Vandalur. These buses will not pass through Tambaram and Perungulathur.

Similarly, omni buses operating from Koyambedu bound for other districts should take Poonamallee high road, Vanagaram, Nazarathpet, outer ring road and reach Vandalur. These buses will not pass through Tambaram and Perungulathur. Omni buses towards ECR will be permitted via 100 feet road, Kathipara, Guindy, Sardar Patel road (OMR, ECR) subject to the approval of traffic police. Omni buses should avoid boarding points on 100 feet road, Poonamallee high road in front of CMRL, Alandur Metro, KK Nagar. Instead those passengers can be asked to board from Koyambedu or Urapakkam. All passengers are requested to take note of the above arrangements, plan their travel accordingly, the authorities said.

Passengers have been requested to follow all Covid norms and wear a mask throughout their journey

Indian Bank loses papers, fined ₹3lakh

Indian Bank loses papers, fined ₹3lakh

Chennai:31.10.2021

The Madras high court has imposed Rs 3 lakh cost on Indian Bank for losing title deeds of an immovable property mortgaged by a private company which is currently under liquidation.

Appalled over the bank’s refusal to fix accountability on its officials for the loss of title deeds, Justice R Subramanian said, “this is the most demeaning act that a bank can do.”

“After having lost the documents, which were in its custody, it is unwilling to act against their officers also. I find all is not well with the conduct of the bank in at least attempting to take corrective measures and stop recurrence of loss of documents in future,” the judge added.

The issue pertains to a plea moved by N Shanmugasundaram seeking to direct an appropriate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the bank becoming unable to trace the title deeds and other related documents of the property owned by Sree Visalakshi Mills Pvt Ltd, which is under liquidation.

Since the bank failed to provide a satisfactory answer as to how a title deed deposited with the bank could not be traced and no official of the bank was made liable for the loss, the court said: “It is only after the directions of this court that the bank came forward to make advertisements in newspapers and also lodge a police complaint regarding loss of the documents.”

The fact that no police complaint was lodged upon the loss of the documents itself would demonstrate that the bank was reluctant to fix the responsibility on any of its officers, the court added.

The judge then directed the bank to obtain a certificate of non-traceability from the police concerned and handover the same to the petitioner. tnn

The judge directed the bank to obtain a certificate of non-traceability from the police concerned and handover the same to the petitioner

Vaccination slows, 17.1 lakh get jabs in 7th mega camp

Vaccination slows, 17.1 lakh get jabs in 7th mega camp

Rain Plays Spoilsport In Many Parts Of The State

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.10.2021

Two lakh staff, thousands of volunteers, 50,000 vaccination camps, more than 8,000 vehicles in addition to public campaigns and door-to-door canvassing by nurses could bring less than 20 lakh people to the seventh mega vaccination camp on Saturday.

By 8.15pm, the immunization division attached to the directorate of preventive medicine announced 17.1 lakh people visited vaccination camps. Among these 10.8 lakh people have taken the first dose. The slowdown in vaccinations across the state has often been attributed to a combination of misinformation and mistrust, branded by public health workers in the state as vaccine hesitancy. On Saturday, officials said, rain in many parts of the state brought down attendance in camps.

As a result, more than 1.7crore adults in the state haven’t taken even one dose of the vaccine and nearly 50 lakh are due for their second dose – some of them are due since May. “Most people who haven't been vaccinated are either reluctant, anxious or procrastinating,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.

Many people who took vaccines over the last one week told TOI that they were forced to roll up their sleeves because of unavoidable reasons. “I am not averse to vaccination. I just didn’t think it was required,” said a senior citizen S Rajeshwari, who took the vaccine at a primary health center in Chennai on Thursday. For months, she and her husband were not willing to take the vaccine, until her son insisted. “He works for a corporate company. His office has made it mandatory for members of the house to get vaccinated. If we don’t take it, he will not be able to go back to work,” she said.

People had different ways to reach the vaccination centers on Saturday, but most of them said they made the decision abruptly, after months of inaction. “I got sick of wearing the mask all day at college. I wear them even when I step out with friends for coffee. They keep reminding me to wear it properly as I am not vaccinated. I came here today because I am sick of it,” said a 19-year-old college student, Sakshi A.

Vellore-based senior virologist Dr T Jacob John said many people should be encouraged to take this path quickly. “Fresh cases are down; hospitals are empty and there are no longer stringent lockdowns. So, people are probably assuming we are safe,” he said. “Vaccines can stop the new surge. We must get all our vulnerable people covered,” he said.

11 districts report increase in cases

Chennai:31.10.2021

Eleven districts reported an increase in cases on Saturday when the fresh cases in the state dropped to 1,021 from 1,039 on Friday.

The state reported14 deaths and discharged 1,172 people from the registry. At the end of the day, there were 11,685 active cases and the cumulative toll tally reached 36,097. On Friday Chennai reported 126 new cases and Coimbatore recorded 118.

At least 25 districts reported fewer than 20 cases each on Saturday. With two new cases Ramanathapuram reported the least number of cases followed by three each in Tenkasi and Mayiladuthurai.

Of the 14 deaths reported on Saturday, there were three in Coimbatore and two each in Erode, Trichy and Nagapattinam. Chengalpattu, Salem, Kancheepuram, Thiruvarur and Ranipet reported one death each. Twenty nine districts reported zero deaths. TNN

Over 4L get 2 doses of vax in Puducherry

More than four lakh people have taken two doses of Covid-19 vaccine while more than seven lakh people have taken one dose of the vaccine so far in the Union territory of Puducherry. Healthcare authorities have so far administered 11.26 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine. They have tested 19.13 lakh swab samples of which 16.16 lakh samples returned negative.

The territory reported 39 fresh cases even as 48 patients recovered in the last 24 hours ending at 10am on Saturday bringing down the active cases to 437.

The territory did not report any Covid-19 death for the sixth consecutive day. The death toll remained at 1,857. Puducherry headquarters reported the maximum fatalities with 1,453 followed by Karikal (250), Yanam (107) and Mahe (47). TNN

33 OFFICES RAIDED

Diwali ‘gifts’: DVAC seizes over ₹18L cash, liquor worth ₹6.5L

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31,10,2021

Directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) officials recovered ₹18.2 lakh unaccounted cash, liquor worth ₹6.5 lakh and 36 boxes of crackers as Diwali gifts during surprise raids at 33 government offices in the state on Friday evening.

The raids conducted simultaneously were held in 14 departments — TNEB, transport, registration, fire and rescue, commercial tax, police, land reforms, taluk supply office, Tasmac, rural development, drug control, industrial safety and health, municipality and DTCP.

DVAC officials are planning for a mega raid in other places on Monday and Tuesday to prevent the last round of Diwali gifts being given to government officials.

Earlier, DVAC director and director-general of police P Kandaswamy had conducted meetings with subordinate officers to gather details of the corrupt officials in all the departments.

They scrutinised the officials based on their rapport with businessmen and politicians. The officers monitored the officials call log details and finalised the list of 60 officials as per the priority and the raid was kickstarted.

In a similar raid conducted in 2020, anti-corruption officials had seized ₹4.30 crore and 519 sovereigns of gold jewellery in the guise of festival gifts from government officials .

'Medical Practitioners Must Be Protected From Onslaught Of Frivolous Complaints': Madras High Court Issues Guidelines For National Medical Council

'Medical Practitioners Must Be Protected From Onslaught Of Frivolous Complaints': Madras High Court Issues Guidelines For National Medical Council: The Madras High Court on Tuesday quashed an order dated May 4, 2021 of the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) suspending a gastroenterologist by observing that principles of natural justice were

Medicos wrap up Rhapsody with fashion show, DJ night

Medicos wrap up Rhapsody with fashion show, DJ night

Vivek Singh Chauhan TNN

Lucknow:28.10.2021

MBBS students of 2020 batch Simple Singh and Aryan Arora, along with their seniors from 2019 Sanya Dikshit and Siddhant Aggarwal, were conferred with Mr and Miss Rhapsody awards on the third and final day of the three-day annual cultural festival of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) on Wednesday.

The festival had to be cancelled for the past two years: in 2019 due to anti-CAA protests and in 2020 due to Covid.

This year, Rhapsody finally got its colour, and students joined with twice more enthusiasm.

The festival adorned with the colours of passion, fun, adventure, art, and skill culminated with a DJ Night, which students enjoyed immensely. The highlight of the final day was the selection of Mr and Miss Rhapsody and the fashion show ‘Allure’, in which around 300 students, along with 40 teachers, participated.

Medicos in diverse and trendy attire gave tough competition to fashion models. A ramp walk and question round followed in which participants gave spontaneous answers to judges to win the title.

Over three days, students exhibited singing, dancing, acting, and other talents. Along with this, competitions like poster making, skit, and medi-quiz were organized.

T colleges ignore NAAC tag, put education quality under lens

T colleges ignore NAAC tag, put education quality under lens

No Accreditation For About 90% T Colleges

State To Study Reasons, Guide Institutes

Preeti.Biswas@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:28.10.2021

With only 11% of higher educational institutions in Telangana being accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the council has now asked the state higher education department officials to take up an internal survey to know the reasons for not initiating or accelerating the accreditation process.

The NAAC had conducted a state-wise analysis of accredited higher education institutions in Telangana and released a report on October 26 in Bengaluru.

The report indicates that of the 1,976 colleges in Telangana, only 141 have a valid accreditation. Of these, 35 are government colleges, 19 are grant-in-aid colleges and 87 are private or self-financed colleges. Nationally, 21% colleges are NAAC accredited.

The NAAC accreditation assesses institutions on teaching, learning and evaluation, research and innovations, infrastructure and learning resources, student support and progression, governance and management, helping students to gauge quality of education in an institute. Based on the performance in each aspect, institutions are awarded grades A+, A, B++, B+, B, C and D.

While other states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala fare much better, Telangana is yet to make a mark.

Officials from the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) said there was no resistance among college managements to undergo NAAC assessment.

“Lower percentage of accredited colleges in Telangana is due to various shortcomings, especially in rural areas. Based on NAAC findings, we would try to understand the limitations of colleges and universities and accordingly work with them. We have also decided to financially help institutions in preparing NAAC documentations,” said R Limbadri, TSCHE chairman.

The NAAC officials said as the accreditation process was voluntary earlier, many did not come forward in the last many years.

“Now that the NAAC accreditation has been made mandatory to seek funds under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan scheme and other central schemes, many colleges are in the fray. Massive handholding is required to encourage institutions for accreditation,” said NAAC director SC Sharma.

As per NAAC figures, more than 200 colleges from Telangana are now at various stages to secure NAAC accreditation.

Students move out of T for better courses

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad:

Poor quality of professional courses in Telangana has led to a gradual migration of students to neighbouring states, with several seats left vacant in courses such as engineering, management, BEd and law among others As per the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) report, more than 1.34 lakh engineering seats, 8,299 B Pharmacy seats and 33,632 management seats had no takers between academic year 2015-16 and 2018-19.

Experts admit that admissions in Telangana dropped as the exodus to deemed-to-be-universities and private universities in neighbouring states increased in the past few years.

“The deemed-to-be-universities are more innovative in curriculum. There is a huge pool of courses to choose and exposure is also higher. Therefore, they are in high demand compared to local institutions,” said DN Reddy, former vice-chancellor of JNTUH.

Vacancies and no research major challenges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad:

Vacant teaching positions, poor upkeep of institutions and no research in Telangana’s institutes have been identified as major challenges by NAAC.

“In almost all universities, a large number of faculty positions are lying vacant. The process of filling of vacancies for teaching and non-teaching staff has not been taken up. Consequently, the faculty student ratio as well as cadre ratio is low and there is dearth of permanent faculty,” read the report.

It said that even in colleges, there are very few permanent staff members and there needs to be a drastic improvement in faculty cadre ratio. Experts said that lack of faculty members has a cascading effect on the quality of education at large.

“When there are not enough faculty members, quality of teaching takes a backseat. Existing staff gets overburdened with many other responsibilities due to which neither are they able to take up enough research work nor are they able to guide enough PhD scholars,” said DN Reddy, former vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad.

In addition to this, poor industry linkages and feedback mechanism, academic audits etc are among the other challenges that have been identified hindering the quality of education in higher institutions in the state.

Travel cos cautious on booking tickets to US

Travel cos cautious on booking tickets to US

Sudipta.Sengupta@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:28.10.2021

Lack of clarity over Covaxin’s validity among USA-bound travellers, has put city tour agents on guard. Worried about the fate of these passengers — and the repercussions for their business — most of them are steering clear of accepting requests for ticket bookings from people vaccinated with two shots of Covaxin. This, despite their desks being flooded with enquires from prospective flyers.

“We are getting a lot of calls from people who have taken Covaxin and want to travel to the US. At least 50% of our enquires comprise such travellers,” said Abdul Majid Faheem, Travel Agents Federation of India (Telangana and AP chapters).

Flyers hoping issue will be solved soon

“But we are not being able to entertain their requests because we are told they will not be allowed entry. If they get into trouble, it will adversely impact us as well. It’ll also become chaotic if we have to cancel them last minute,” added Faheem.

The confusion has been created by the World Health Organisation delaying its emergency use license (EUL) to Covaxin. WHO’s technical advisory group met recently and decided to ask for more data from Bharat Biotech before issuing the license.

TOI spoke to a number of airlines and travel agents across the country who said there was no clarity on whether a Covaxin-vaccinated person can travel to the US if he/she has a negative RTPCR test result.

“We hope this issue is resolved soon as there is a tremendous demand for the US at the moment and we do not want to lose out on business,” Faheem said.

Agrees Rajeev Kale, president and country head (holidays, MICE, visa) at Thomas Cook (India). According to him, reopening of the US borders and acceptance of doubly vaccinated Indians has created high demand from Hyderabad and Telangana.

“We are receiving not just queries, but also booking requests from customers who already have valid visas,” he said adding, “While we continue to receive interest from customers vaccinated with Covaxin shots too, we await approval from the US authorities before we are able to go ahead with such bookings.”

The uncertainty has left travellers in a dilemma. “I was hoping to spend Christmas with my extended family in New Jersey. I really hope the authorities clear this Covaxin issue before Christmas,” said Manikonda resident, Arjun Rao, who took his second Covaxin dose in June.

“We are also hoping for positive news for customers who are doubly jabbed with Covaxin to be allowed to travel soon,” said Daniel D’Souza, president and country head, SOTC Travel.

Ayodhya pilgrimage part of govt scheme

Ayodhya pilgrimage part of govt scheme

Pilgrim Programme To Resume In A Month

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:28.10.2021

The Delhi cabinet headed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday approved the proposal to add Ayodhya as one more pilgrimage destination under the Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana that was started in mid-November 2019. The Delhi government-funded pilgrimage to various religious destinations was on hold due to the pandemic, but it will be started within a month.

Ayodhya is the latest addition to the list of Jagannath Puri, Ujjain, Shirdi, Amritsar, Vaishno Devi, Dwarkadhish, Tirupati, Rameswaram, Haridwar, Mathura and Bodh Gaya. Kejriwal said he wanted to help the elderly fulfil their fervent yearning to complete pilgrimage to these religious places.

Over 35,000 people have availed of the scheme till now. The CM said all officials were working constantly to make necessary arrangements for the purpose. “It gives me immense pleasure to inform the people of Delhi that we have approved a monumental proposal in today’s cabinet meeting by adding Ayodhya as another destination under the Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojna. The elderly who have the desire to visit Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya will have their trip facilitated by Delhi government for free,” added Kejriwal.

The entire expense of leaving from home until returning, including travelling by airconditioned trains, stay in AC hotels, meals and local travel, would be borne by Delhi government. “The elderly can take someone as an attendant to help them in their journey. The attendant’s expenses will be covered too,” said the CM.

“For the last couple of years, we had halted the scheme due to Covid-19 for everyone’s safety. But now that the situation has improved considerably, we will resume it. All officials are tirelessly making efforts to ensure that within a month or so trains to the listed shrines are resumed. Soon, you will be able to begin registration. I hope that everyone who avails of the scheme and goes on the tirth yatra has a fulfilling and comfortable trip,” Kejriwal said.

Eligible people can apply online at https://edistrict.delhigovt.nic.in to benefit from this scheme. They can also apply by visiting the offices of the divisional commissioner, area MLA or the Tirth Yatra Committee. Candidates are selected by a draw of lots.

Delhi govt-funded pilgrimage to various religious destinations was on hold due to the pandemic

3 5 THOUSAND PEOPLE AVAILED OF SCHEME TILL NOW

Online frauds continue unabated: 60-year-old duped of ₹99k for refund of ₹640 in app wallet

Online frauds continue unabated: 60-year-old duped of ₹99k for refund of ₹640 in app wallet

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:28.10.2021

A 60-year-old man searching for a customer care number for an online payment on the internet, however, fell in the trap of online fraudsters. The accused allegedly siphoned Rs 99,000 from his bank account on the pretext of refunding just Rs 640 that were deducted from his online wallet. The accused sent the victim a link asking him to download a remote access over his smartphone, hacked his mobile phone and siphoned money from his bank account. The victim reported the matter to the cyber-crime branch where a zero FIR was registered and the case was transferred to Habibganj police.

Investigation officer SI Vivek Sharma said that complainant Sanjay Gadkari, a resident of Sarita Complex in Shivaji Nagar, wanted to get refund of Rs 640 in his online payment wallet. He received a call from an unidentified man who asked him to download an app on his phone and asked him for the OTP. As soon as Sanjay told him the OTP, Rs 98,897 were deducted from his bank account. Subsequently, he reported the matter to police.

In another online fraud case registered at Misrod police station on Tuesday, complainant Vanshika Jaiswal, 21, a resident of Jatkhedi, who wanted to sell her bicycle online, received a call from the accused who sent Re 1 online to her after taking her account details and then siphoned Rs 20,049 from her bank account.